In printing devices a charge roller may be used to apply a uniform electrical potential to the surface of a photoconductor (PC), which may be shaped as a drum. The surface of the PC may then be selectively exposed to a laser beam in a pattern corresponding to the image to be printed. The areas of the PC that are exposed are electrically discharged, thus forming a latent electrostatic image on the PC. Toner may then be transferred to the surface of the PC, which is attracted to and clings to the electrostatic image formed on the PC surface by the laser beam. From the PC surface, the toner may then be transferred to media via electrostatic interactions. The toner may then be fused to the media.
After this process the PC surface may be cleaned using a cleaning blade. Untransferred toner, toner additives, paper dust, and other foreign debris may be removed from the PC by the cleaning blade. However, when the contaminants bypass the cleaning blade, they may be transferred from the PC surface to the charge roller. These contaminants may adhere to the charge roller, coating the roller and causing the roller to become rough and dirty. Charge roller contamination may deteriorate the charging ability of the charge roller and cause degradation of image quality, causing defects which may include background fouling and density unevenness.